Moonlight Serenade: Stage Door Reissues Max Bygraves’ “Discolongamax”
Tomorrow, Stage Door Records delivers perhaps the most unexpected reissue of the year – and almost certainly the campiest! Fans of kitsch (and you know who you are!) will doubtless find much to enjoy in Stage Door’s CD premiere of Discolongamax from the late British entertainer Max Bygraves (1922-2012). This marks the third release in the label’s Pop series, following an expanded album from The Nolans and the television-themed Crossroads Wedding Party.
Cast album connoisseurs might know Bygraves best as Hubie Cram in the original West End production of the musical Do Re Mi, admirably filling the shoes of Broadway’s Phil Silvers. Still others around the world might know him for his association with Judy Garland. After supporting her on the bill at the London Palladium in 1951, the superstar invited him to New York to fill the same role that year in her shows at the Palace on Broadway. U.K. readers, though, will undoubtedly know Bygraves and his long, successful career. A multi-talented comedian, singer, and all-around variety performer whose career began onstage in variety and on radio, he charted ten singles on the U.K. Singles Chart between 1952 and 1960, most of which were novelty songs. One was “You Need Hands,” which he wrote under the pseudonym of Roy Irwin. Eydie Gorme would later score a No. 11 Pop hit with the song in the United States. Bygraves appeared in films and on television, wrote a novel (The Milkman’s on His Way) and in 1982, was made an OBE (Order of the British Empire). He hosted the U.K. version of Family Feud, entitled Family Fortunes, between 1983 and 1985; in 1989, he charted his final hit with a rendition of Irving Berlin’s timeless “White Christmas.” The beloved entertainer continued to release albums into the 1990s.
Discolongamax was part of Bygraves’ long-running series of LPs that began with 1971’s Sing Along with Max and continued with entries dedicated to party songs (Singalongapartysong), Christmas music (Singalongaxmas), showtunes (Singalongabroadway), movie themes (Singalongamovies), Latin music (Viva! Congalongamax), and more. By 1979, with more than 20 sing-along-styled albums and collections released, a disco release would have seemed de rigeur for the personable singer with the smooth and resonant voice. Max didn’t disappoint. Stage Door shares a quote from him upon the album’s original release: “I firmly believe people of my age can enjoy disco as much as the kids. The songs are all good strong melodies that seem to lend themselves to the disco treatment. I just hope that the folk who buy the album will feel like a bit of a dancealong too.”
Produced by Terry Brown and arranged by veteran Frank Barber, Discolongamax primarily drew on the classic standards favored by Bygraves and his audience, including “Autumn Leaves,” “Moonlight Serenade,” and “Won’t You Come Home, Bill Bailey,” with detours to classic Broadway (My Fair Lady‘s music hall-flavored “Get Me to the Church on Time”), contemporary pop (Morris Albert’s once-ubiquitous “Feelings”), and Bygraves’ own back catalogue (“You Need Hands,” “Love Is a Song,” “Tulips from Amsterdam”). While Barber dutifully provided orchestral disco backings for most of the tunes – with able vocal support from The Ladybirds – a handful of songs aren’t really disco-fied at all, merely given a fashionable modern gloss. These more relaxed tunes include “You Need Hands,” “Autumn Leaves,” “Moonlight Serenade,” and “Feelings.” Bygraves is at his most over-the-top on “Bill Bailey” while Barber evokes The Wiz favorite “Ease on Down the Road” on “Ma! He’s Making Eyes at Me.”
If there’s a well-worn copy of The Ethel Merman Disco Album on your LP or CD shelf – or Up the Yellow Brick Road is your favorite Salsoul Orchestra album – then this one’s for you! Get your dancing shoes on: Discolongamax (complete with newly modified cover artwork and an insert with liner notes) is available on Friday from Stage Door Records. You’ll find the track listing and order links below.
Max Bygraves, Discolongamax (Pye LP ZCN 110, 1979 – reissued Stage Door Pop STAGE 9102, 2024) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Stage Door)
- Get Me to the Church on Time
- How Ya Gonna Keep ‘Em Down on the Farm
- You Need Hands
- Autumn Leaves
- Moonlight Serenade
- Won’t You Come Home Bill Bailey
- Ma! (He’s Making Eyes at Me)
- My Mammy
- Tulips from Amsterdam
- Love is a Song
- Somebody Stole My Gal
- Feelings
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Wow! Someone DISCOvered the DISCO
Catacombs….🎭